Finishing welt



Aug. 13, 1929. s. H. CLARK K 1,724,454

FINISHING WELT Filed Deo. 12, 1928 me/nto@ Patented, Aug. i3, ieee.,

d UNITED STEWT i: t. 1.

Application filed December la,

My invent-ion relates to welts, gimps and bindings, but moreparticularly to finishing welts, used primarily for trimmingautomobiles, both upon their exterior and interior surfaces, wherever abindingy or tape-like covering strip is required or desired, foroverlapping seams, or otherwise concealing raw edges of the trim. It isapplicable also to various more or less analogous uses, such as thetrimming, finishing and ornamentat-ion of furniture for example, and isof the blind nail or concealed nail type of welt as exemplified byvarious United States pat ents, including that Numbered 1,226,600, is-

sued May 15, 1917,-to Robert C. Schemmel,

of Union City, Indiana.

rlhe present. invention, in its broadest sense employse body port-ion orcore of resilient material and of unitary formation,

such as rubber or other flexible substances, divided by a side kerf intoa base and a flap portion capable of automatically resuming their normalclose together relation after they have been momentarily deformed forthe passing of fastening means through the base, and in additioncontemplates covering means for suitably ornamenting the core or bodyportion in harmonious accord with the upholstery of the automobile orother vehicle in process of manufacture or repairs.

The invention therefore has for an object the-- production of finishingwelt suitable for blind nailing consist-ing of two elements only, thatis to say, a resilient body portion or core and an enclosing cover orenvelope which follows the contour of said bod This invention has for afurther object the production of a finishing welt which is extremelyeconomical in cost of manufacture, eiiicient in its use and operation,and attractive in appearance. lVith the foregoing and other objects inview, the invention will be hereinafter particularly described and laterpointed out by the lclaims following.

In the accompanying drawings which form part -of this application forLetters Patent, and whereon corresponding numerals indicate like partsin theseveral views:

` Figure l is a view in` perspective of a small section of weltdetached;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the welt in the process ofattachment, being open for reception of an attaching tack or Serial No.,518.

nail whereby it is secured in operative position;

Figure '3 is also a transverse .cross sectional view showing the weltapplied; and

Figure 4 is one of many modied forms of this welt detached.

Reference had to the drawings and numerals' thereon, 1 indicates thecore of my lmproved form of welt, preferably made of rubber, quickly andcheaply extruded from a suitable steel die. The core 1 however, may bemade om other and any lem'ble material, capable of being deformed asindicated by Figure 2, for purposes of receiving fastening tacks 2, andof then automatically resuming its closed and normal position, asindicated by Figure 3, thus concealing the tack 2 by which secured.

rlhe body of the welt, as clearly shown in the accompanying drawings,comprises a core kerfed at one side to provide a base portion 3, merginginto a continuous overlying iap 4 of unitary construction, havlng at thebottom of the kerf where these two portions intersect a longitudinalcontinuous pocket 5 designed and adapted to facilitate the hinging ofHap 4 upon base 3.

outer covering 6 for the body' 1 is provided, which follows the surfafzeconiiguration of elements 3 and 4, completely` enveloping them as shown,and this covering-may be of leather, imitation leather, or of anysuitable fabric best suited'to har-' monize with upholstery of thevehicle., or for the particular job upon which `the welt is to be used.

ln one 'embodiment of the invention, as shown by Figures 1, 2 and 3 ofthe drawings, a relatively small longitudinal and continuous side bead 7is employed adjacent to which the overlapping and tack concealing flap 4abutswhen in its closed and normal position as shown.

The said Hap 4 may obviously be of any desired cross sectional form. Itmay be merely a. ,flat flap doubled upon a base 3 \of like fom, orpreferably of a half round shape as 'shown, but in any event connectedat one longitudinal edge which lconstitutes a hinge element, to permitthe Hap 4 during introduction of ,the fastening tacks 2.

This being substantially the construction of my invention, its useand'operation are so self-evident that a detailed description thereof ishardl required. It will be noted however, that ap 4 automaticallyresumes its normal closed position, as indicated by Figures 1 and 3,after being forcibly lifted or deformed as indicated by Figure 2, forthe introduction of tacks 2, or other fastening means, and that duringthis operation the continuous longitudinal weakening groove 5 greatlyfacilitates this hinge action.

Figure 4 represents' a slightly modified form of the present inventionwherein the principle of operation is the same, and wherein thelongitudinal bead 7 is omitted, in other respects this constructionbeing the same -as that hereinbefore described.

1. A finishing welt including a resilient core kerfed inwardly at a sidethereof to provide a base and an upper iap normally in closed `yrelationbut deformable to allow fastening -means to be passed through the base,the resilience of the core being sufcient to cause the flap to springback to its normally closed relation with the base and thereby cover andconceal the fastening means when said flap is released after completionof the fastening operation. Y 2. A finishing welt including a resiliencore of unitary construction, substantially half round in section andkerfed at a side thereof to provide a base and an upper ap normally inclosed relation but deformable to allow fastening means to be passedthrough the base, the resilience of the core being sulicient to causethe flap to spring back to its normally closed relation with the with acovering of flexible material encasing the core, the longitudinal edgesof said covering being concealed `within the kerf.

4. A finishing welt including a resilient core having asubstantiallyplane bottom surface and a curved upper surface, said' corebeing kerfed -inwardly from a side thereof in aplane parallel with itsbottom 'base portion and a flap portion normally in closed relation butadapted to be spread apart forthe insertion of fastening means thro hthe base portion.

surface whereby the core is divided into a In like manner other andvarious modi- 5. finishing welt including a resilient"v core having asubstantially plane bottom surface and a curved upper surface, said corebeing provided with a kerf extending inwardly from one side thereof in aplane substantially parallel'with the bottom sur- 'face of the core,whereby the core is divided into a base portion and a flap portion, incombination with a covering of flexible niaterial encasing the core andterminatfgig in longitudinal edges within the kerf.

A finishing welt including a resilient core kerfed inwardly at a sidethereof to divide the core into a base portion and a fiap portion,each-provided with an oppositely disposed flat surface, the resilienceof the core being sufficient to allow saidrportions to be sprung apartto enableea headed fastening tack to be passed through the base portionand then to spring together when released to cause said fiat surfaces tobear against and conceal the head of said fastening tack.

lIii testimony whereof I affix my signature.

STEWART HARVEY CLARK.

